Mom’s Blog

by Annie Bond of http://www.care2.com/

Long before the advent of antihistamine tablets and specially formulated cold remedies, cold and flu sufferers turned to herbal teas to relieve their symptoms. Those homemade infusions were rich in vitamins, minerals and medicinal compounds. You can find commercial versions of these old-time remedies in most health food or natural grocery stores, or you can take a page out of the past and make your own. In the herbalist’s pharmacopoeia, specific herbs address particular symptoms, so we asked the experts to share their favorite blends.

Soothe a Sore Throat

A dry, scratchy throat often signals the onset of a cold, and over-the-counter syrups and lozenges just seem to sugarcoat the problem. Fortunately, nature provides some safe and easy-to-use alternatives. “Sore throats are greatly relieved by herbal tea,” says Brigitte Mars, herbalist and author of Healing Herbal Teas (Basic Health Media, Winter 2006). As a first line of defense, Mars prescribes marshmallow root (Althea officinalis) , an anti-inflammatory herb that’s “wonderfully soothing on the throat.” Unrelated to the gooey little campfire confections, this herb has a long, well-documented history of successfully treating irritated mucous membranes.

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Posted on October 31st, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Detox, Immunity, Infection | No Comments »

Establish healthy habits at an early age

With the new school year approaching and so many things to manage in order to get children ready, it can become easy to overlook one of the most fundamental aspects of a child’s life: nutrition. During vacation many routines may be neglected, and healthy meals shared with the family may be overlooked. With that in mind, the new school year can be seen as a fresh start and a way of getting the entire family back on a healthy track.

Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease has been the number one cause of death in the United States for the past 80 years? Statistics show that every 34 seconds, someone in the U.S. dies from heart disease. That’s more than an astonishing 2,500 deaths in a day.

Sadly, children are now starting to form part of these statistics, with more children than ever diagnosed with heart disease.

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Posted on October 30th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Child Health, Heart, Blood, Circulatory | No Comments »

We all would rather prevent a disease than have to deal with curing a disease. One way to prevent disease is to make sure that you have a strong immune system. A weak immune system increases your risk for disease and infection. If you have frequent colds and flu, experience frequent cold sores or genital herpes and if you often get infections than you probably have a low immunity.

Overuse of antibiotics in order to combat bacterial infections has created another serious problem, that of causing liver, kidney, nervous system and immune system damage. When individuals become ill modern medicine treats illnesses by getting rid of the symptoms instead of treating the cause of the illness. Modern medicine also uses surgery, and radiation to treat illnesses, which have their own problems including risk of infection or death from surgery, and risk of cancer from over-exposure to radiation.

If you want true health it all starts with a strong immune system. Natural methods can be used to strengthen the immune system, which gives your body a better chance for fending off germs and bacteria. It is the job of the immune system to fight off disease-causing microorganisms and to orchestrate the process of healing. Your immune system is your key to fighting and preventing disease. You are healthier when your immune system is strong.

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Posted on October 30th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Detox, Immunity, Infection | No Comments »

Have you ever walked into a home and been struck by how great the house smells? You may wonder whether the owner sprays air fresheners, or burns candles all of the time. More often than not, essential oils are being used. Essential oils are wonderful for the home and they can actually do a lot more than give your home a great scent. Essential oils can also be used for first aid and cleaning, too.

Using essential oils as an antiseptic: You can go to your local grocery store and purchase expensive antiseptic and disinfectant sprays for your home, or you can go the natural way and use essential oils. When you add essential oils to vinegar, you have just created a great way to ward off germs.

This method has actually been used for centuries—way before you could buy those sprays in stores. Some of the essential oils that you can look into for this purpose include poppy, pine, peppermint, tea tree oil, rosemary and eucalyptus.

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Posted on October 30th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Home and Hearth | No Comments »

Most things in life are easier to conquer if you take them step by step or one small step at a time when reaching for a large goal. Fighting bad breath becomes easier to accomplish when you look at the battle in small steps.

The battleground is littered with sources of bad breath including food debris stuck between teeth and on the teeth and gums. Food and bacteria build up on the tongue especially at the back of the tongue where post-nasal drip sticks and becomes a place for bacteria to gather.

The weapons are your soft-bristled toothbrush, floss, mouthwash, and a spoon or tongue cleaner.

Someone with a dirty tongue is difficult to have a conversation with so make sure that your tongue gets cleaned on a regular basis. Let’s make step one to clean your tongue every time you brush your teeth.

How often should you brush your teeth? Most dentists will tell you that brushing your teeth should occur every time you eat because you don’t want food particles to become lodged between your teeth. It stands to reason that you would want to get rid of any food particles from breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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Posted on October 30th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Mouth, Teeth Health | No Comments »